Work. Life. Balance. These words tend to get tossed together a lot. Hanging out as though they go so merrily together, no one should give any thought to how difficult a concept this is not just to grasp, but to actualize. It’s a buzzphrase in conversations ranging from employee retention to job satisfaction to recruiting to gripe sessions with friends to exit interviews! Sure, we “value” this concept; most everyone strives after it. But what does it really mean? What does it look like? I’m coming to the conclusion that Gen Y may not really know.
However, from conversations I’ve been in the past week or so, young professionals everywhere are in the midst of dealing with this very definitive issue in very real ways. The thing is, when real life (and work) start getting out of balance, Gen Y isn’t sure how to cope. From friends blogging about trying to find time for a personal life amidst a constant workload to friends talking about spending 60 hours in the office while their spouse waits at home, I seem to be noticing a somewhat disturbing trend.
It seems Gen Y entering the workforce may be turning to workaholic tendencies to cope and get ahead. I’m not sure why this is happening, given we have been labeled one of the most balance-oriented generations yet. Perhaps it’s our drive or our intense desire to prove ourselves. Perhaps it’s an impatience to realize the promise of career advancement and opportunities we were told throughout college were coming to us that has us slaving away at the office and after work. Could be the fact that another large percentage of our generation seems to have a knack for slacking off, making it the perfect time for more aspiring professionals to showcase their dedication and talent.
Is it just me, or is this a real concern? Maybe it’s truly a different way of thinking about life and Gen Y believes that there’s a seamless process in which work and life are really extensions of one another. Whether or not we are truly predisposed with such a mindset, there’s a harsh reality check in store for Millennials, regardless of how much we say we value balance: If you can’t ever turn your mind out of work mode, if you can never put down the blackberry, if you’re logging more hours in the office than anywhere else but at home tucked into your comfy bed, it is safe to say that you’re starting to resemble a workaholic.
So, what’s a generation to do when our lives are on the line? How can we find balance in a system that doesn’t define it for us? Can we face the challenge of prioritizing for life, when push comes to shove? I’m all ears.
Finding Life on a Business Trip
September 12, 2007
I’m heading to Nashville for business tomorrow. I don’t travel what anyone would call a “lot,” but for or five times a year, I get to stray from cubicle life and visit a new city for a conference – usually one I’m helping run. I’ve found that people always ask me what I’m going to do when I tell them I’m going on a business trip. Usually, I tell them I’m going on a business trip. You know, hanging out in a hotel room for a few days, languishing in the airport for hours on end. Nothing too exciting.
But the truth is, I enjoy traveling – well, not the trip part so much as the being someplace new. Even if it’s just around the country and not too often. Shopping and eating at new places. It’s refreshing. I try to visit local venues when I can. I love live music, and my midwestern town isn’t exactly a musical mecca. So, it’s always a treat to see a great band at a local venue in a new city. Of course, I can’t wait to hit Nashville.
I also enjoy the opportunity to get to connect with people while I’m traveling. I don’t meet many strangers. I love a good, solid chat with passengers on a plane. I’ve gotten to know people I work with on a much deeper level when we get some time outside the office to connect. This week, I’m meeting up with a professional mentor for dinner one evening.
I’ll read a few books, catch up on some research, wonder why I packed so much. Really, it will be great. I’ll return home exhausted and then head out next week for the same routine.
But just having a change of pace (even though on this trip, it will be a definite speeding up time) is just what I need every once in a while. I have to evaluate the state of everything before I leave so I know where I stand on laundry, projects, time catching up with friends. I can re-focus when I return to work, life, home, friends.
There’s just something about a change of place that changes my perspective as well. Somehow, this helps me find life. Appreciate it a little more. See where I stand. Of course, a nice vacation would do a world of good. But in the meantime, this will do.
Positive Change in a New Media World
August 18, 2007
At Jibber Jobbber, Jason Alba recently wrote a great post about having a positive influence in the world. He asked how his readers could create positive change. That got me thinking. Of course, we can have positive change online and offline. But today, there is a real crisis of positive change through personal interaction that deepens the issue somewhat.
Think about it. In our digital age, it’s more time-effective to shoot an e-mail than to walk into the boss’s office. We don’t have enough time for anything, so we rely on MySpace to see photos of our friends’ children and get updates on their lives.
Studies show that many plugged in Americans are suffering from isolation and loneliness (link found via Modite). This is a real, emerging issue for the plugged in generations. Actually, I think it’s an issue for generations across the board.
Millennial bloggers are writing about the importance of spending time with people in real life. Marci Alboher recently touched on the immense value of the simple act of picking up the phone to call someone rather than to chat online or via e-mail. This simple act was so meaningful that the reporter she called wrote about it on her blog.
Essentially, it seems, the more wired we get, the more value we place on communication and interaction of more “traditional” forms. Think about how much you value dinner with a friend, an hour-long phone chat, or more impressive still, a hand-written letter. Something “real” in the non-digital sense of the world just seems to have so much meaning these days.
So all this has me thinking about some ways that I can have a positive effect on the people in my life – whether I know them online or offline – in ways that touch their unplugged life. Here are some ideas.
- Call or write (an actual note) to a college or career mentor you’ve lost touch with and let them know what you’re up to and how they helped get you where you are today.
- Step in to your boss’s office and take a few minutes to tell them what you appreciate about them. No brownnosing here, just an honest, in-person thank you.
- Call your dad some evening and just catch up. Better yet, meet him for dinner.
- Nominate a deserving friend or associate for an award whether at an online site or in your professional world.
- Send your mom flowers, and not on a holiday.
- Message an old high school friend you’ve reconnected to on MySpace and get their mailing address or phone number. You know what to do from there.
I’m not sure how to close this post. I want to say, this stuff should be simple, and maybe some people will tell me that it’s a “duh” thing and not worth writing about. But to them I’d say – I can tell you the last time someone did any of these to me. It meant that much. Because it happens so rarely. So there you have it.
